


Take My Heart (I'll Lay Down My Own)

by GoldenHero



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, youkai AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-15
Updated: 2016-03-15
Packaged: 2018-05-26 22:40:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6258595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoldenHero/pseuds/GoldenHero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Keiji is just a beggar boy. Bokuto is a God.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

In the small and unknown village of Kagura, there lived a Pauper boy. The village itself was occupied by rich people who looked down on the Pauper boy with distaste.

The boy’s name was Keiji. He was small and thin, and often was teased by the Richer boys who owned golden bows and arrows that could fly so high, they would get lost in the clouds, and teased Keiji for his own bow made of thin wood, horsehair that would snap often, and his arrows of rotten wood that often crumbled and left splinters on his hands and fingertips. 

The children and adults of Kagura hated Keiji for one thing only; his beauty. It was a beauty that had belonged to his late mother and father, it made him able to compare with any of the women in the village, so much so that children and villagers had taken to splashing mud onto the teen whenever he walked into the town to taint his beauty. 

The children had these bows for one reason; to catch the Owl God that flew over the town once every year, crying out it’s song to all who would hear. 

“ _ Golden arrows fall around, silver droplets fall from my eyes, wooden sticks will shoot me down.”  _

The Owl had told the village elders many years before, long before Keiji or any of the other children had been born, that he was bestow a single wish to the child who could shoot him through the heart. 

From that point on, the children with their golden bows and silver arrows would practice their shots every month, thinking in vain that their skills were good enough to hit the mystical Owl. 

They teased Keji who would practice every day, wearing down his fingers and creating scratches and scars on his arms every time his bow would snap, and when he had to create a new one. 

“You little beggar boy! You’ll never get the Owl! Your arrows and bow is too weak!” Keiji heard their teasing, but turned his head away and continued to practice. 

As the day of the fourteenth year of Keiji’s life, as did the annual passing of the Owl God. All of the children woke up excited, gathered up their bows and arrows that they barely used and ran out to the beach where the Owl would fly above. 

Among them was Keiji. He stood towards the back, a single arrow made from scraps of metal was held in his hand, his last bow that was almost about to break, he stood with the other children, tingling with excitement. 

After not much time, the Owl’s song reached the ears of the children. 

“ _ Golden arrows fall around, silver droplets fall from my eyes, wooden sticks will bring me down.” _

The children scrambled to knock their arrows, their eyes narrowing against the sky as the large Horned Owl swooped above, looking down at the children as they aimed at him. 

Keiji watched patiently as the children fired their arrows one after one, but to their surprise, the arrows all missed the Owl who simply ducked out of the way, weaving between the arrows as he sang again. 

_ “Golden arrows fall around, silver droplets fall from my eyes, wooden sticks will bring me down.”  _ The children all stomped their feet when they found that they had run out of arrows, and finally, it was Keiji’s turn. 

Keiji calmly aimed the arrow to the sky, squinting his eyes against the blinking sun as he pulled his string back tight, aimed easily before firing. 

His bowstring snapped after the arrow had soared through the air. His bow splintered and dug woodchips painfully into his skin as all of the children watched the makeshift arrow fly fast, hitting the Owl through the heart. 

The rich children screamed in anger as Keiji turned to them. He was attacked with flying fists that hit him painfully and spilled his blood onto the ground.

They whipped at his arms hard with their bows, angry that a Pauper had gotten the spoils and not them. He whimpered as he covered his face and shrunk back, waiting for the abuse to end. 

And end it did. After the children had tired themselves out, they collected their bows and arrows and left, leaving a battered Keiji and the Owl God laying on the sand of the beach


	2. Chapter 2

As the sky became dark, Keiji slowly let his arms unfurl from his face and he shakily sat up. Just a few meters away from him laid the Owl, the arrow stuck through it’s heart.

Keiji stood shakily. His feet burned from the sand getting in his bleeding cuts as he approached the Owl, yelping and falling back as the corpse began to glow.

He covered his eyes with his arms, shielding himself from what he thought would be more pain, but to his surprise, he only felt the warmth of a hand on his arm.

“Look up, Keiji.” Keiji peeked through his barricade of arms to see a tall man dressed in a simple Haori and Hakama.

As Keiji looked up more, he was surprised to see what the man looked like. He was taller than Keiji with wild silvery hair that was spiked up in horns, almost in the way of the Owl that the God had taken as a holding.

His eyes were amber and bright with excitement as he held out his hand to Keiji who winced away, shuffling a little on injured feet.

“I won’t hurt you, human.” The man said, kneeling down in front of Keiji. “My name is Koutarou Bokuto. You are the one who shot me down, correct?” He asked, holding out Keiji’s arrow, still stained with blood.

“How are you alive?” Keiji asked, surprised as Bokuto grinned. “I was only trapped in that body temporarily by a Kitsune. I was waiting for you, Keiji.” He said as he held out his hand again to Keiji who hesitated again.

The man continued to speak in Keiji’s silence. “Since you are the one who has shot me down, I shall grant you a wish. Whatever you most desire in the world will be yours!” Bokuto said as he straightened up, spreading his arms wide with a grin.

Keiji slowly stood up on his own, brushed the sand from his Haori before bowing to Bokuto, “I do not wish for anything, Bokuto-sama.” He said quietly before he straightened up.

“I am glad that I could help you. Farewell, Bokuto-sama.” Keiji said before he turned and began to walk on the sand, leaving behind a confused Bokuto who stared after him, cocking his head to the side and narrowing his eyes a little before a grin came onto his face, a grin of triumph.

“Interesting.” Bokuto murmured to himself as he turned towards the woods, walking into them, a plan formulating in his head, “if he will not make a wish for himself, then I will.”

The next day after Keiji had dressed all of  his wounds, he had left his small house to gather a bucket of water when behind him, there was a loud thudding sound.

Surprised, Keiji whirled around only to find Bokuto behind him. His hands were clasped behind his back, and today he was wearing more royal robes, a white Kimono with the patterns of Kiku flowers on the breast of the clothing.

“Good morning, Bokuto-sama.” Keiji said plainly as he bowed to the God who scoffed, “why do you treat me with such respect?” He asked haughtily as he approached, making Keiji look up in surprise.

“Why should I not?” Keiji dared to ask, “we do not know each other, and you are a God. I would not want to offend you.” He said, seeing Bokuto cross his arms a little.

“Because, Keiji.” Bokuto said, making Keiji wince a little at his given name, a name that he had not given Bokuto allowance to speak with, “I’m your familiar now!”

Keiji’s eyes widened as he took a step back, surprise in his dark eyes, “F-Familiar?!” Keiji asked, his voice shrill as he stiffened up to Bokuto’s declaration.

Bokuto grinned with a nod, “I decided last night!” He said, taking a large step forward and grasping onto Keiji’s arm, pointing to a small mark on his wrist.

“I created this so that a human as kind as you would stay by my side forever.” He said, puffing out his chest proudly as Keiji started on, his eyes wide in shock.

“Y-you gave me this mark without my permission.” Keiji said slowly, seeing Bokuto grin and nod like a excited dog.

“You made yourself my Familiar, because I’m kind?” Keiji hissed, feeling anger and shock bubbling up. Bokuto hesitantly nodded when he saw Keiji’s anger.

Keiji sighed and forced himself to calm down before he turned briskly and stormed away to the woods, ignoring Bokuto’s yells behind him.

“Keiji! Where are you going?” Bokuto called as he jogged to catch up. Keiji refused to look back at Bokuto, feeling his cheeks start to heat up with anger and his eyes burn with tears.

He broke into a run, shocking Bokuto who scrambled to keep up, but Keiji was already tearing through the woods, running hard as he continued on, and soon found himself lost.

He slowed down as soon as he reached a large shrine with the symbol of the moon on it. He fell to his knees before it, sighing as he covered his face.

“Please, Gods, tell me what to do.” He said after a few moments, desperate for advice. “I’ve been given the job of having a Familiar. How can I go back?” He waited for a few moments, but the shine stayed quiet and empty.

Keiji sighed and bowed his head, slumping against the shrine and silently praying before he fell asleep that the choice would be taken off of his back.

Unbeknownst to him, a Kitsune loomed above him on the top of the shrine. He grinned at Keiji’s sleeping form and slowly slunk down, touching his forehead with his hand.

“Very well,” the Kitsune murmured,, “I’ve always liked to torture Bokuto.” He grinned as he touched Keiji's forehead and watched as his body glimmered, lifting Keiji's body up into the air before something slammed into him from the side and knocked him over as he screeched in anger. 


	3. Chapter 3

Bokuto screamed in anger as he bowled over the Kitsune, pinning him down on the rough ground. 

"What the hell are you doing?!" He yelled, gripping the Kitsune by his shoulders as the demon looked up at him, gasping for air for a few seconds as he struggled, growling and kicking at Bokuto. 

“Let me go!” The Kitsune screamed as he rolled about, scratching at Bokuto who only snarled louder, gripping onto him and tossing him away.

The Kitsune scrambled to his feet. His was ripped and blood dripped from his cheek from the punches and scratches that Bokuto had given to him. He was shaking in anger as he glared at Bokuto, his chest heaving. 

“What were you going to do with him, you fox?!” The Kitsune grinned cheekily as he lept away, “nothing!” He chirped, delighted in seeing Bokuto's explosive reaction. 

“He’s human anyway, why waste your breath on someone like him?”  Bokuto pursed his lips as he pulled the fallen Keiji closer to him, narrowing his eyes more at the Kitsune who waited patiently for his answer.

“Because I chose him.” Bokuto said plainly, narrowing his eyes, “I’ve become his familiar, so he’s tied to me until the day I fade.” The Kitsune sighed, shaking his head.

“Fine.” He said, turning away from them, his body melting into a fox form. He glanced back, his red eyes glinted a little.

“ _Don’t come crying to me when he tries to kill himself again.”_ Bokuto growled as he pulled Keiji closer.

“He won’t do that, Oikawa.” He hissed, “he isn’t like Hajie-samma.” Oikawa-the Kitsune- growled, his hair raising along his spine.

 _“Hajime is dead because of your misjudges!”_ He snarled as he bared his teeth, _“I was a familiar, too. Don’t forget that.”_ He glared at Bokuto, tears in his sharp eyes. 

Bokuto raised his chin, “I won’t.” Oikawa nodded shortly before he turned and vanished into the bushes but not before he looked back a final time and spoke.

 _“I’ll tell the others. But I doubt they’ll be happy with a human as their leader.”_ He then vanished into the bushes, and the place around the two men went quiet. Bokuto looked down at Keiji, his eyes going soft and sad.

“I’m sorry, Kei.” He murmured, “I know you never wanted a familiar, but what was I supposed to do?” He looked up at the small shrine before them. It was one of his, abandoned by a dead God, and inhabited by hungry Youkai’s as well as Human and Animal bones.

He gently picked the sleeping Keiji up, careful not to wake him up as he started off into the woods. He cautiously stepped around, glaring at any being that got too close as he moved.

“B...Bokuto-samma?” Keiji murmured as his eyes flickered open. Bokuto looked down at him, smiling a little.

“Hey, Keiji..” He said quietly, “sorry.” He murmured, petting down Akaashi’s unruly hair as he murmured to him.

“You know I’d never do anything to hurt you, right?” He asked quietly, smiling down to Keiji who nodded a little, closing his eyes before he spoke.

“I...I just died..Didn’t I?” He whispered softly to him.

Bokuto shook his head, "almost," he whispered, kissing Akaashi's forehead. "But I will keep you alive." He picked up the frightened human, holding him close to his chest. 

"For now, we must get you home." He said before he and Akaashi vanished into the night together. 


End file.
